Single Release Speed Loader

ABSTRACT

A single release speed loader for firearms includes a light weight, elongated cylindrical body with a closure device at the bottom. Firearm cartridges are stacked inside the body and are prevented from sliding out of the elongated body by a closure at an end thereof. When the closure is removed, the elongated body is moved over the chambers of the cylinder of a firearm, and the cartridges slide out of the elongated body and into the chambers one at a time.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application claims benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/765,967, filed Feb. 18, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The field of the invention is speed loaders for firearms.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Competitive shooting has made it desirable to load and reload firearms rapidly. Most speed loaders today are made of bulky, expensive materials and comprise of several complex components. These speed loaders often require modifications to fit different types of firearms, cartridges and chamber sizes. In addition, many existing speed loaders are designed to fill all chambers simultaneously, requiring the user to line up each cartridge held in the speed loader with a corresponding chamber of the revolver, exactly, in order to transfer the cartridges. Loading the cartridges simultaneously creates the complicated problem of having to choreograph as many as six chambers and cartridges at once. There is a need for a simplified speed loader made of a more affordable material that also offers higher performance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A single elongated cylindrical body that can be made of material, such as plastic, that is light weight and inexpensive. An end or top of the cylindrical body may be left open, making it possible to insert more cartridges quickly. In the alternative, an end or top may be closed with various closure devices to secure the cartridges in the cylindrical body as the speed loader is moved around. The speed loader may be carried in various ways making it convenient for the user. For example, it may be hung around the neck or attached to or enclosed in an article of clothing.

A closure device located at an opposite end or bottom of the body is opened to allow the cartridges to transfer or move into the chamber of the firearm. The invention is designed to transfer one cartridge at a time; therefore, it does not require the precise alignment of multiple cartridges with corresponding chambers. The speed loader may be used with several different types of firearms and varying sizes of chambers and cartridges without modifications. In addition, the transfer of a single cartridge only requires the user to line up the elongated cylindrical body with a single chamber of the firearm, easing the process of transferring the cartridge to the chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of the speed loader in position to transfer a cartridges to the chambers of a firearm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a speed loader 100 used to insert firearm cartridges 102 into one or more chambers 105 of a cylinder 103 of a firearm. The speed loader 100 comprises an elongated cylindrical body 101 and at least one closure device 104 located at an end of the body 101.

The closure device 104 may be made of plastic or some other suitable material that can be secured firmly in the end of the elongated body 101, such as a snap connection, a threaded closure, or some other means of sealing the end of the elongated body 101 so that the cartridges 102 do no slide out of the elongated body 101. Another, similar or identical closure device may be placed at an opposite end of the elongated body to seal cartridges 102 in the elongated body when the speed loader is not in use or is being transported.

The elongated cylindrical body 101 is made of plastic or some other light weight material, which may be flexible or more rigid, as desired. The light weight material makes it possible for the user to carry the speed loader 100 in several ways and allows the speed loader 100 to be attached to clothing without being distracting or burdensome to a user. Another advantage of the speed loader 100 is that it can be worn around the neck and used from that position. If worn around the neck, there is no risk of damage to the speed loader 100 by dropping it to the ground, a common problem with other speed loaders.

In use, the closure device 104 is inserted and/or secured in the end of the elongated body 101. The firearm cartridges 102, which have a forward or bullet nose end 102′, are placed into the elongated body 101, bullet nose 102′ first. The first cartridge 102 slides down the elongated body 101 until it rests against the closure device 104. As shown in FIG. 1, additional cartridges 102 may, in the same fashion and orientation, be placed in the elongated body 101 after the initial cartridge 102 is inserted until the desired number of cartridges 102 are in the elongated body 101.

In order to load the cartridges 102 into the firearm cylinder 103, the elongated cylindrical body 101 is held over one of the chambers 105 in the firearm cylinder 103. The closure device 104 is then opened or removed from the elongated body 101, and the cartridge 102 slides out of the elongated body 101 and into the chamber 105 of the firearm cylinder 103. The elongated body 101 is then moved in the exemplary clockwise direction shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1 and held over another empty chamber 105 of the firearm cylinder 103, and another cartridge 102 is allowed to slide out of the elongated body 101 and into the empty chamber 105. These actions are repeated until the desired number of cartridges 102 have been placed in the respective chambers 105 or until all of the chambers 105 are filled.

After use, the elongated body 101 may again be filled with more cartridges 102 and the closure device 104 installed in each end of the elongated body 101 for transport or storage. 

We claim:
 1. A speed loader for placing firearm cartridges in the chambers of the cylinder of a firearm comprising: (a) an elongated cylindrical body having opposite ends; (b) a closure for at least one of the opposite ends of the elongated cylindrical body; wherein, when the closure is installed in an end of the elongated body, firearm cartridges may be placed in the elongated body and secured therein by the closure, and when the closure is removed from the elongated body, the individual cartridges slide out of the elongated body and into empty chambers of the firearm as the elongated body is moved from chamber to chamber.
 2. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the elongated cylindrical body is made of plastic.
 3. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the elongated cylindrical body is made out of canvas.
 4. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the elongated cylindrical body is made of flexible material.
 5. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the elongated cylindrical body is made of inflexible material.
 6. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the closure is a flexible plastic plug.
 7. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the closure is a cover that snaps into the at least one end of the elongated cylindrical body.
 8. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the closure is threadably received by the at least one end of the elongated cylindrical body.
 9. The speed loader of claim 1 wherein the closure is a snap at the end of the cylindrical body.
 10. A speed loader for placing firearm cartridges in the chambers of the cylinder of a firearm comprising: (c) an elongated cylindrical body having opposite ends; (d) a closure for each of the opposite ends of the elongated cylindrical body; wherein, firearm cartridges are placed in the elongated body, the closures are secured at both of the opposite ends of the elongated cylindrical body, and the elongated cylindrical body is stored for transport. 